Waking Up in Vegas
by LoryLynn1186
Summary: They can't remember the last 24 hours. That can't be good. Inspired by Katy Perry's song. RATING CHANGE FOR CHAPTER 6!
1. The Hangover

**Waking Up In Vegas  
A/N: I've learned that you can only listen to a song so many times before it begins to inspire you. Obviously this is based on Katy Perry's "Waking Up In Vegas."**

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There was a dull ache in her head when she awoke. Scratch that, it was more like a five man construction crew equipped with jackhammers. Every muscle she moved intensified the noise tenfold so she tried her best to stay absolutely still while her mind tried desperately to remember the events that lead to her predicament.

She and Tony had been sent to Las Vegas to work a case with the Office of Special Projects. A group of sailors had been implicated in a drug ring in the city and NCIS was called in to investigate. They'd spent nine days working undercover, setting up surveillance and spending some quality bonding time with their LA counterparts. They had set up a sting and busted the drug smugglers. Mission accomplished. So...where was she?

Cracking her right eye as slightly as possible, Ziva examined her surroundings. It was definitely a hotel room, decorated in a tacky and extravagant Vegas theme. The wallpaper was a God awful gold color with sparkling swirls to match the accents on the furniture. The lampshades were adorned with faux feathers whose colors matched the sequins and rhinestones on the door and mirror frames.

_'It looks like Liberace designed this place.'_ Tony had said that. She couldn't remember when he'd said it, but she could hear his laughing voice as clear as day. Come to think of it, where was Tony? Probably shacked up with some trashy show girl.

Desperately craving a glass of water and a strong dose of whatever aspirin she could find, Ziva opened her other eye and paused. After the blinding pain dulled a bit she chanced moving only to find that she was restrained. Trapped in the bed...by an arm draped over her waist...an arm belonging to...someone. It was not the first time she had woken up in bed with a stranger, but it was not an experience she enjoyed. Ziva tried to shimmy her way out from underneath the arm without waking it's owner only to have it tighten around her middle.

"Stop moving," a gruff voice mumbled into her neck.

Immediately Ziva froze. She knew that voice. So that's where Tony was...she was the trashy girl he'd hooked up with! Her muscles tensed as realization dawned on her still sleeping brain. She was in bed...with Tony...naked...not good! Though her mind protested she jumped out of bed immediately regretting that decision when her legs gave out and she hit the floor. A string of curses flew from her mouth.

"Too early for foreign languages. Barely understand English," Tony grumbled running a hand over his face. Wait, foreign language...Ziva? His eyes cracked open immediately setting upon the Israeli on the ground in front of him. Why was she naked?

"Ziva? Why are you in my room? And naked?" he asked. _'Not that I mind in the least.'_

Ziva grabbed the sheet off the corner of the bed and wrapped it around herself the best she could. "I believe this is my room, Tony."

"Uh...don't think so," he argued. "What the hell happened last night?"

"You do not remember?"

He shook his head, immediately regretting the action as he literally felt his brain shift. "Do you?"

Ziva pursed her lips trying to remember anything she could. Brief flashes of the previous night entered her mind.

_"To another case solved!" Clinking glasses. Burning liquid. Shots lined up on the bar._

_"Dance with me Zee-vah." Techno music. Gyrating bodies. Tony's hands on her hips, her hands buried in his hair. His lips against her neck._

"We were drinking," she said.

Tony groaned. "That's a given." He looked at her and then back at the bed he was in, taking notice of the disheveled sheets and his attire--or lack thereof. "Did we...we didn't...oh man please don't tell me we slept together."

Ziva glared at him. "I did not realize you were so opposed to the idea Tony."

"Oh I'm not," he corrected. "But I would like to remember it should it happen."

She dropped her head to hide the smile she couldn't control. "We need to find out what happened last night."

Tony closed his eyes and tried to conjure up any memories he could. The humming in his ears intensified with the effort.

_"You guys were awesome tonight! First round is on me!" Drinks were placed in front of him and downed within minutes. Liquids in a wide variety of colors and flavors slid down his throat._

_"Love this song! Dance with me Zee-vah!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her out to the dance floor._

"Where did you learn to dance like that?"

Ziva blushed. "You seemed to keep up rather well."

Tony laughed, lying back on the bed. "I don't know about you but I need a shower. Care to join me?"

Ziva rolled her eyes. "I will wait until you are done. If you use all the hot water I will be forced to kill you." She climbed to her feet, careful to keep the sheet tight around her body and sat on the edge of the bed.

Grumbling and groaning Tony managed to find his discarded boxer-briefs and pull them on. He wavered on his feet for a moment, closing his eyes in hopes of staving off the nauseous feeling he had. He walked over to the chair where his suitcase was perched and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before continuing to the bathroom.

Ziva turned to watch him leave the room and that's when she saw it. On the left side of the lower back, about the size of her palm, was an intricately designed, cursive "Z." The skin around the mark was red and still slightly swollen. "Elokei."

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**So what do you think? Let me know!!  
A/N: Elokei=My God**


	2. Things Get Inky

**Chapter 2: Things Get Inky  
A/N: 352 hits and only 18 reviews? Thanks to those of you who reviewed and to those who didn't...tsk tsk! Let's do better this time.**

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Tony turned to look at her scratching his head. "What?"

Ziva walked over to him and physically turned his body so she could get a better look at the mark. She could tell the ink was new, no more than a few hours, Reaching out Ziva touched the skin softly noticing that Tony flinched slightly.

"That hurt. What'd you do scratch me or something?" he asked looking over his shoulder desperately trying to see what had drawn her attention.

"You don't remember getting this?"

Tony furrowed his brow. "Getting what?"

Rather than telling him, Ziva pushed Tony into the bathroom and positioned him in front of the mirror. "That," she said pointing to the tattoo on his back.

Tony crained his neck to see what she was pointing at, feeling the bones pop in and out of place. His eyes widened exponentially when he finally caught glimpse of it. "Is that a tattoo? When the hell did that happen?" He tried to get a better look over his opposite shoulder, tossing his head back and forth.

"I do not know," Ziva said trying to hide her smile. It was not often that she saw Anthony DiNozzo freak out and she was reveling the opportunity.

"I can't believe I got a tattoo," Tony exclaimed. "Abby is going to have a field day with this." He rubbed his tired eyes for a moment before his gaze fell on Ziva. "Where's yours?"

Her eyes widened substantially. "What are you talking about? What makes you believe that I have a tattoo?"

"I have your initial tattooed on my skin, Zee-vah. You must have reciprocated. So where is it?" He reached for the sheet hiding her body but Ziva swatted his hand away.

"I am perfectly sure that I do not have a tattoo." As she said the words Ziva knew they were a lie. She had a small butterfly tattooed on the inside of her left ankle with Tali's name written above it in memory of her sister. Tony had seen quite a bit of her bare skin--particularly on their undercover assignment--but she prayed he hadn't noticed it. "And how do you know that your tattoo is my initial? It could be someone else's."

Tony looked at her incredulously. "Because I know so many people whose names start with 'Z.' You should probably let me check you out," he purred. "Just to be sure."

She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face but her logical side was screaming at her. 'You don't remember anything from the last few hours. How do you know what you have done? It will be better to find out now when the problem can be taken care of.' "Fine," Ziva huffed. "I will be right back." She turned on her heel and exited the bathroom leaving a dumbfounded Tony in her wake. She was gone only a moment returning sans sheet, wearing a pair of lacy black underwear and matching bra.

"Wow Zee-vah," Tony said in awe.

"I thought this would make the inspection easier," she said trying desperately to control the blush that threatened to consume not just her face but her entire body. 'He has seen you in a bikini, this is no different.'

"That it will," he agreed. Tony reached over and ran his hand down her arm but Ziva grabbed his wrist before he hit her elbow.

"Keep your hands to yourself," she warned, "or I will hand them to you."

"Yes ma'am." Knowing that her threat was not an idle one, Tony let his eyes do the walking, his green orbs dancing over the skin of Ziva's shoulders, her arms, stomach, back. His gaze traveled down her legs and back up, taking time to appreciate her gentle curves. Her skin was tanned and taunt with only a few scars marring it here and there. 'What I wouldn't give to be able to touch that skin.' Sadly there was no ink to be found.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity, Tony?" she asked.

"I just don't get it," he mused. "How could I be stupid enough to get a tat and yet you...didn't?" He perched himself on the edge of the tub, sighing in resignation.

Ziva felt an air of smugness settle over her. She lifted herself onto the sink, cringing when the cold marble connected with her skin and sent a shiver up her spine. "I suppose some of us just have more control than others," she gloated.

Tony looked up at her, fully intent to give her his best Gibbs scowl when something else caught his eye. A few inches above her knee on the inside of her right thigh, Tony could just make out the tail end of an intricately designed tattoo. He chuckled softly.

"What?" Ziva asked.

"Oh nothing," he smirked.

"You would not be smirking if it was nothing," she said, narrowing her eyes. "So leak."

Tony scrunched his eyebrows. "I think you mean spill." He stood up and walked over to stand in front of his Israeli partner. Wearing his best DiNozzo smirk he leaned forward bringing his lips to her ear. "Open your legs Ziva."

Her instinct was to punch him, but she settled for pushing him away roughly. This was brash even for Tony. "This is really not the time to try your lines on me, Tony."

Tony laughed. "I just want to show you something Ziva," he purred.

"And what would that be?" She crossed her arms over her chest in an act of protection.

"I'm not the only one who got inked last night, Zi." Ziva's eyes popped, nearly doubling in size. Instinctively her hand dropped to her leg sliding upward along the inside of her thigh until her fingertips hit a tender piece of flesh. Reluctantly she dropped her gaze from Tony's eyes to her leg taking in the swirling black design of the calligraphy on her skin. It was obviously designed to match Tony's, both letters had the same swirling tails and coloring. Just as with Tony's, the skin around the art was raised and slightly red denoting it's recentness.

"It's beautiful," Tony said.

Ziva snapped her head up, catching his gaze for only a moment before diverting her eyes. "I can not believe this."

"Are you going to try to tell me the 'T' stands for something other than Tony?" he asked. Ziva merely glared at him dumbfounded. "I can't believe we got tattoos! I mean what kind of guy would tattoo someone who is wasted? Isn't that against the law or something?"

Ziva huffed. "How many things have we witnessed this week that have been against the law? This is Sin City, yes?"

"I guess so." Tony rubbed his hands over his face and began pacing the room. "We've got to figure out what the hell happened last night."


	3. Caught on Tape

**Chapter 3: Caught on Tape  
A/N: First of all thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock! I did some research for this chapter as well (aka watching The Hangover, lol) Hope you enjoy!**

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_"I guess so." Tony rubbed his hands over his face and began pacing the room. "We've got to figure out what the hell happened last night."_

"And how do we go about doing that?" Ziva asked. "Neither of us can remember much of anything."

"I remember drinking. And dancing."

"That is all I can recall as well." She jumped off the bathroom counter and began pacing the tiled floor. "Let's start from the beginning. We finished our assignment."

Tony took up her train of thought. "We caught the bad guys; arrested four petty officers for possession and intent to sell."

"We must have gone out after the bust," she said.

"We gotta celebrate!" Sam Hanna said. "It's our last night in Sin City!"

"Let's hit the strip. The clubs are calling to me!" Tony laughed.

Tony groaned. "We gotta talk to the OSP guys. Maybe they can fill in the blanks."

Ziva nodded. "Take your shower," she instructed. "I will call them and see what they can tell me."

"Sure you don't want to join me?" Tony purred.

Ziva smiled flirtatiously. "Perhaps later, my little hairy butt." She left the bathroom, closing the door behind her and blocking the sense of temptation she felt. It was difficult to ignore her feelings for Tony in such close quarters let alone when he was clad in only a pair of skin tight boxer briefs. The best way to avoid temptation was to remove oneself from the situation, so that's exactly what she was doing. Pulling on a pair of cargo pants and a discarded tank top, Ziva began the search for her cell phone finally finding the device tucked away in the cushions of the couch.

'Three missed calls? If any of these are from Gibbs, we are dead.' Ziva thought. Scrolling through the call log she found that one was from her father and the other two were from McGee. Neither had left a voice mail. 'Apparently it was not an important matter,' she thought, though a call from her father was never unimportant. Ziva found the number she was looking for and hit send, listening to the ringing on the other end.

"Agent Hanna speaking."

"Special Agent Hanna, this is Officer David."

"Ziva!" he exclaimed. "How are you feeling on this fine morning?"

"I've been better," she said cringing at his loud tone.

Sam laughed. "Yeah I can imagine! You guys were wasted last night."

Ziva groaned internally. This was one of the few times she wished there were no witnesses. "About that," she ventured, "we are having some...problems recalling the events of last evening."

There was laughter on the other end followed by a round of coughing. Ziva could hear another voice in the background and quickly identified it as Special Agent Callen, Hanna's partner. "I'm not surprised," Hanna remarked, "you two were really putting back the drinks. I haven't seen someone do that many straight shots in a long time."

"Yes well, we were hoping that you could help us fill in some of the holes?"

"Sure thing. Why don't you meet us for lunch and we'll tell you all about it."

Ziva smiled, thankful that she would soon be able to put this mystery to rest. "That sounds like a good plan. Where should we meet you?"

"We'll pick you up. Hotel lobby in twenty?"

"We will be there."

"All right Ziva," Sam said. "See you in a bit."

"Shalom." She snapped her phone closed just as Tony exited the bathroom. He was finally dressed, wearing a pair of jeans and the OSU t-shirt that Ziva had bought him for his last birthday. As he bent over to rifle through his suitcase, Ziva took a moment to admire how well the jeans flattered his amazing...posterior. 'I wish I could remember last night,' she thought before shaking her head of the thoughts and images. "We are meeting Agents Hanna and Callen in a few minutes."

Tony straightened to look at her. He was amazed that even in a simple pair of cargos and a tank she could look so beautiful. Her hair fell down to her shoulders in its usual curls and even without make-up her face glowed. 'Oh man I'm in deep,' he thought. "You talked to them?"

"How else would I know that we are meeting them?"

Tony chose to ignore the sarcastic response. "Did they say anything about what happened last night?"

"They wish to tell us in person," she said. "And judging by the amount of laughing that was happening on the other end of the line, I do not think it is good news."

Tony groaned. "Could it get much worse than permanent ink embedded under our skin to remind us of a night we can't remember?"

"Point taken, Tony." Ziva pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail and spared another glance in the mirror. She didn't look half as bad as she felt. 'Thank God for small miracles.' Grabbing her badge and Sig off the dresser she clipped both to her belt and looked at her partner. Tony was busy gelling his hair, twisting and pulling the lockes in different places until it was perfect. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Almost," he ran his fingers through his hair one final time before grabbing his badge, gun, and wallet. "Let's go."

Half an hour later they were sitting in a booth in a dinky little diner on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Tony and Ziva sat on one side while Hanna and Callen sat on the other. As soon as they took their seats Tony wrapped his arm around Ziva's waist. Ziva thought nothing of the act, ignoring the grins that the other pair were sharing.

After they placed their orders Tony got down to business. "So guys, what exactly happened last night?"

Callen leaned forward on his elbows. "What parts do you remember?"

Tony scrubbed a hand over his chin, regretting his choice to not shave earlier. "I remember going to the bar and doing shots. Lots of shots. That's about it."

"What about you?" he asked looking to Ziva.

She closed her eyes trying to conjure up any additional images from the previous night. The same montage from earlier played. "I remember drinking and dancing."

Callen and Hanna shared a look and a laugh. "You are quite the little ballerina," Sam said. "Where did you learn how to dance?"

"In Israel," Ziva answered. "I danced ballet for nearly nine years. We are digesting."

"Huh?"

"She means digressing," Tony supplied smirking at his partner. "Help us out here."

"We started out at Rhumbar at The Mirage," Sam said recalling the events. "But we got kicked out, so we had to find another place."

"We got kicked out of a bar?" Tony asked astonished. He'd been 'asked to leave' bars before, but those were in his frat boy college days. It hadn't happened in years. "What happened?"

Callen laughed and pointed to Ziva. "Some guy grabbed her ass and she hauled off and decked him."

Ziva looked astonished. She had absolutely no recollection of hitting anyone and her hand didn't hurt at all. She couldn't have hit him that hard.

"Don't feel too bad," Callen offered. "Drinks were too expensive anyway, so we moved on to some crumby little bar off the strip. It's cheaper to drink out that way."

"And that's where it gets interesting," Sam laughed.

Tony and Ziva shared a wary look. "Define interesting," Tony demanded.

Special Agent Hanna dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I'd rather just show you." He tapped the screen a few times and finally spun it to show Tony and Ziva. Two pairs of eyes watched the small screen, growing wider and wider with each passing second.

The video was shot from a side angle, showing Ziva sitting on the bar with Tony sitting on a stool in front of her. An arm appeared from off-screen handing Ziva a shot, but instead of throwing her head back and downing the liquid she took the glass and placed it snugly in her cleavage. She then grabbed something off the bar and placed it in her mouth. On the video Tony took Ziva's hand licking the skin between the thumb and index finger before diving face first into her chest. When his head tilted back the shot glass was securely in his mouth. The liquid was downed and the shot glass deposited on the bar before Tony's mouth latched onto Ziva's. Random people began to hoot and holler as the pair deepened the kiss.

Ziva watched the video with a dumbfounded expression. "What the hell was that?" she asked.

"It's a body shot," Tony said cringing. "Why did you record that?"

Callen laughed. "We figured you would enjoy the posterity. Something to the remember the night by."

Ziva groaned. "We have enough of that." Hanna and Callen eyed her warily, their eyes asking the question they didn't want to voice.

"We woke up with matching tattoos," Tony explained.

The pair laughed hysterically. "I told the cab driver to take you straight to the hotel with no stops," Sam said. "I even gave that guy a big tip. Damn!"

"So that's all that happened?" Tony asked.

"Yeah we put you two in a cab back to your hotel," Callen said. "After that, who knows."

These words were not exactly comforting to Tony and Ziva. After all if they'd managed to get tattooed while incredibly intoxicated there was no saying what else they had done.


	4. What Did You Call Me?

**Chapter 4: What Did You Call Me?  
A/N: Sorry this update took so long. Sadly I had to go back to work after 4 days off, so this took a little longer to write that the last few. Again sorry about the delay, but I hope you like it!**

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Their food came quickly and was devoured in near silence. They filled the rest of the time with mindless chatter, discussing random topics like favorite pizza topping and whose boss was harder to please. They paid the check and headed back toward the towering buildings of the Las Vegas strip.

"You guys have a good flight home," Callen offered from the front seat of the sedan.

"Thanks." Tony climbed out of the backseat and extended his hand to Ziva. She ignored his gesture, following him out of the car and coming to stand next to him.

"Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome Ziva," Sam said. "And hey don't worry about last night. Remember what happens in Vegas..."

"Stays in Vegas," Tony finished with a grin. "Thanks guys. Have a safe trip." The car pulled away leaving Tony and Ziva standing in front of their hotel. "So that video..."

"We do not need to discuss it," Ziva cut him off. She hurried past him into the hotel, darting through the lobby and pressing the button for the elevator. Unsatisfied with the speed of the machine, she punched the button a few more times. Finally the silver doors opened and Ziva stepped inside pressing the button for the fifth floor.

Tony followed her managing to slide in between the closing doors. He was tempted to pull a Gibbs and flip the emergency stop switch but he wasn't entirely sure what would happen so decided against it. The last thing he needed was to set off fire alarms and evacuate the entire hotel. The tension in the elevator was nearly palpable as Tony attempted to get Ziva's attention while she did her best to avoid his gaze. What should have been a forty second ride felt as though it took hours. As soon as the doors slid open Ziva exited the elevator and stormed down the hall. Again Tony caught up with her just as she was entering their room.

"Ziva will you stop?" he called closing the door behind him.

"I told you there is no need to discuss anything," she said. She rummaged through her suitcase pulling out some fresh clothes and heading toward the bathroom.

"So we're never going to talk about any of this?"

"Exactly." Ziva left no room for argument, entering the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.

Tony dropped onto the bed with a sigh, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. 'What a mess,' he thought. 'I finally get close to her and now everything is screwed up. She's never going to trust me again.' It was a depressing thought, but exactly what Tony needed to give him a jump start. With renewed conviction he waited for the sound of the shower to start before busting into the bathroom. "Ziva."

The shower curtain slid open slightly and Ziva's head appeared. "What are you doing in here?" she snapped.

"I know this is the only way I'm going to get you to listen to me," he said.

"I could just get out of the shower, Tony."

Tony smirked. "I thought of that," he said holding up a towel in one hand and Ziva's clothes in the other. "If you're going to get out of the shower you're going to do so without any coverings."

Ziva growled and closed the shower curtain again. "Okay you have the stage."

Tony tossed the towel and clothes onto the sink and began pacing the tiled floor. He had been trying to imagine what he was going to say, but somehow he just couldn't come up with the right words. Looks like this was going to be strictly improv. "Okay so we had a bit of a crazy night. We were drinking and some things happened. But the thing is," he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "I'm not upset about it. Obviously I wish I could remember the better parts...or really any of it." He heard a soft laugh from inside the shower and allowed himself a small chuckle. "Ziva we've been working together for four years and in that time I think we've grown pretty close. And really that truth is...Ziva I..." 'C'mon man you're blowing it!' "Look Zi--"

"Tony." He looked up and saw her head poking through the shower curtain. He met her gaze head on feeling a wave of confidence wash over him.

"I think I'm falling in love you with Ziva."

"Tony," she said in a warning tone disappearing behind the curtain.

Upset that he was being brushed off, Tony covered the distance to the shower in a few steps and jerked the shower curtain back. "I'm pouring my heart out here Zee-vah, and I'll be damned if you're going to write this off as some morning after remorse! This has been building for months, maybe even years and now I finally have the balls to do something about it." He took a breath and leveled his gaze with hers. "I'm not one for long term relationships, but I want that with you Ziva. I want to give this--whatever this is--a shot."

Ziva stared into his eyes, getting lost in the emotions swirling within. It was the sincerity she saw in those eyes that affected her the most. Reaching forward she cupped his cheek, the water running from her fingertips down his neck and soaking his shirt. She brought her lips to his in a soft and sweet kiss breaking apart a moment later.

"Now what did I do to deserve that?" Tony asked with a classic DiNozzo smirk.

"You made that entire speech," she said, "and never once did you look down. I was standing in front of you completely naked and your eyes never left mine." She kissed him again, a little stronger this time wrapping her arms around his neck.

Tony brought their lips back together and moved his hands to her bare hips. "What do you say we move this to the bedroom?"

"Ziva laughed. "As tempting as that sounds, I do not want to ruin this relationship before it has a chance. We have too much to lose if it does not work. Let's take it slow."

"I'll be waiting in the room," he said disentangling himself from the beauty in his arms and leaving the room. Tony dropped onto the bed and lay back staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe the events of the last twenty-four hours. He had gotten drunk, did a body shot off his partner, got a tattoo of said partner's first initial and then presumably slept with her. Top it all off with his confession of love and you've got one hell of a good story.

It was nearly half an hour later when he heard the bathroom door open. Tony lifted his head watching Ziva walk into the room now fully dressed with her hair hanging in curls around her shoulders. "Wow," he breathed taking in her appearance. Gone were the cargo pants and tank replaced with a pair of curve hugging jeans and a backless shirt, emerald in color.

"You like?" Ziva asked making a slow circle showing off her outfit.

"I like," Tony drooled, climbing to his feet. "What's the occasion? Or are you just dressing up for me?"

Ziva laughed. "We are going out to dinner."

Tony scrunched his eyebrows and looked at his watch. "We ate three hours ago, Ziva. You can't be hungry."

"I am not, but I do wish to see some of the more attractive sides of this city. Perhaps take in a show?"

Tony snickered. "I hear Cirque-Du-Soleil is amazing." He stepped away from her, grabbing his gun, badge, and wallet before outstretching his hand. "Shall we m'lady?"

Ziva shook her head and left the room. Tony followed her down the hallway, stealing a few quick kisses in the elevator, and into the lobby. "Should we see if the concierge can recommend a restaurant?"

"Good idea," Tony said. They detoured from their current path and headed toward the front desk.

A young man was busy typing away at a computer, muttering under his breath as he did so. "I'll be right with you," he said not bothering to look up.

'It's like McGeek followed us,' Tony thought.

After a few seconds the young man--whose gold nametag read Matthew--looked up. "How can I help--oh hey it's our favorite guests." Tony and Ziva shared a confused look before turning back to Matthew. "You two are absolutely hysterical."

"Umm, I hate to tell you but I don't really--"

"Remember last night?" a young woman asked joining Matthew behind the desk. "I shouldn't wonder, you were pretty far gone when you stumbled in here this morning."

"What time was that?" Ziva asked.

"Around 3 a.m.," Matthew answered. "You were laughing and joking about how wonderful the ceremony was."

Tony's eyes popped. "W-what ceremony?"

"The wedding," the woman laughed. She turned to Ziva with an overly fake smile. "I never did get to congratulate the new Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DiNozzo."


	5. We Gotta Fix This

**Chapter 5: We Gotta Fix This  
A/N: Sorry this update took so long! I've been busy getting ready for grad school/moving to NJ so life has been a little hectic. Also my laptop went to the shop and I stupidly forgot to copy the file for this story before I sent it out. But enough with the excuses...I'm planning on two more chapters after this one and everything is plotted out I just gotta sit down and write it. Hope you enjoy it!**

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Ziva couldn't breathe. Mossad had trained her to control her emotions and make herself completely unreadable, but even her best training couldn't prepare her for this. She was used to being in complete control of a situation, and forfeiting that control scared her more than any criminal they had come up against.

Tony scrubbed his hand over his face. This was a nightmare of monumental scales. Not only had he broken rule #12 but he'd also married his partner. _'This is so cliche! Come to Vegas and get married,'_ he thought. _'Gibbs is going to kill me!'_

"Sir are you okay?" Matthew asked. He was watching Tony closely, mentally running through procedures of what to do in a medical emergency. The man looked like he would hit the floor at any moment and Matthew wanted to be ready.

"Not at all," Tony groaned. He turned to say something to Ziva but noticed that she was no longer next to him. The woman behind the desk nodded toward a set of padded benches against the wall where Ziva sat. Tony crossed the distance in a few quick steps and took a seat next to his partner.

"I can not believe I will have to go back to Israel."

"What?" Tony exclaimed; that came out of no where. "What are you talking about?"

"Gibbs will inevitably ask for both our resignations when he learns about this," she explained. "I am sure my father already knows somehow. He will be terminating my position and demanding my return to Israel."

"Ziva, Gibbs is not going to fire us. I'm sure I will have a headache from the number of slaps I'm going to receive, but that's it. Hell, he and McGee will probably get a good laugh at our expense."

"You are being delusional," Ziva snapped. "I can not believe this has happened. How could we be so stupid?"

"Well the massive amounts of alcohol helped," Tony laughed. Ziva glared at him causing the laughter to die in his throat. "Look Zi, this isn't a problem."

"How is this not a problem?" she yelled finally losing her temper. "This is, by definition, a big problem. I agreed to date you Tony, not marry you." 'Yet.'

Tony reached over and grabbed her hand. "Breathe, Sweetcheeks." He hoped the nickname would calm her down or at the very least bring a smile to her face. He was successful in the latter as a small smile graced her lips. "All we need to do is get the marriage annulled. It'll be like it never happened."

Ziva thought about this for a moment. "And how long is that going to take, Tony? We do not have much time, our flight leaves in the morning."

"This is Vegas," he grinned. "If it can work for Britney, it'll work for us."

NCIS

"What do you mean we can't get an annulment?!" Tony shouted at the man behind the counter. After nearly two hours of calling wedding chapels, they'd managed to find the one they had visited. Who knew there were so many of those establishments within a single city? As it turned out the one Tony and Ziva had used was actually located less than two miles from their hotel.

"Well I am sorry sir," the man behind the counter drawled. He pulled a stack of papers and dropped them to the counter with a thud. "Nevada state law requires that any marriage must stand for at least 72 hours before an annulment can be performed."

"You are kidding," Ziva said. She was desperately fighting the urge to launch herself across the counter and strangle this man.

"Sorry ma'am, but nobody is joking. You guys are just going to have to wait this out for another two days before we can do anything."

'Ma'am? That's it!' Ziva reached forward and grabbed a handful of the man's shirt pulling him toward her. "Listen to me. We do not have time to wait. Our flight leaves in less than 24 hours and this matter needs to be taken care of immediately!"

"Ziva," Tony grabbed her hand and slowly pulled her fingers away from the man's shirt. "We don't need the cops to get involved."

"I think you guys should leave now." It wasn't a suggestion, more of a threat. Tony took one look at the guy, gaged how fast he could take him down and how likely he was to end up with a some marks of his own, and decided they needed to leave. In truth he could probably take him, but explaining to Gibbs why Ziva had shot someone at drive-thru chapel.

"C'mon Zi," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the door. Once outside he pulled his sunglasses from a top his head to shield his eyes against the harsh desert sun.

Ziva did likewise and turned to face her partner--and husband. "Now what shall we do?"

"I really don't know," Tony sighed. "I guess we're just going to have to wait and deal with this when we get back to DC."

Ziva sighed glancing up at the sign across the street advertising the cheapest cigarettes in Nevada.

_"I never understood why people smoke. It smells horrible and decreases lung capacity." She stumbled over an unseen flaw in the sidewalk but Tony caught her arm before she hit the ground. Ziva began to laugh hysterically bringing her head to rest against his shoulder._

_"You, Officer David, are completely wasted," Tony laughed._

_"Nuh uh uh," Ziva corrected him. She waved her hand in front of him letting the lights of the city glisten off her new ring. "I believe this means that I am no longer Office David."_

_Tony grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. "I promise that you will get a real ring when we get back to D.C."_

_Ziva smiled. "I really do not care about the ring. It is not as if I can wear it once we get back to D.C. anyhow."_

_"Abby will be excited for us," Tony smirked wrapping his arm around Ziva's waist and leading her down the sidewalk._

_"Yes she will, but we can not tell her!" Ziva sang. "Abby is fully in-*hiccup*-capable of keeping a secret."_

_"This is true," he laughed. "But we can at least live it up while still in Sin City. We should see the sights."_

_Ziva stopped suddenly wrapping her arms around Tony's neck and bringing their lips together. There on the Las Vegas sidewalk, with cars flying past and neon signs buzzing above their heads, Tony and Ziva shared one of the most thrilling kisses either of them had ever experienced._

"Wow,' she sighed bringing her fingers to her lips.

Tony turned to look at her with a questioning gaze. "What?"

"I'm just remembering," she said wistfully. "Last night we kissed and it was..."

"Wow?"

"Yeah." The silence that descended between them was awkward to say the least. The ambient sound did little to divert either of their attentions.

"Look Zi," he started before her hands were threading through his hair, her lips pressed against his. Instinctively Tony's hands came to rest on Ziva's hips pulling her body to his. Her fingers scratched at the back of his neck as their passion rose.

"Tony," she moaned between kisses. "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me when we go home," she kissed him softly, "that things will be okay."

He kissed her softly and rested his forehead against hers. "I can't promise you that, Ziva. But I can promise you that we will be okay."


	6. Feels Like the First Time

**Chapter 6: It Feels Like the First Time  
A/N: First of all I must apologize for the long wait between chapters. I have no excuse other than I had no inspiration. But I believe that is now fixed…hopefully.  
Secondly I would like to add that this chapter has absolutely no bearing on the plot, but I thought you guys deserved a little treat for being so patient with me: Pure Tiva smut!  
Thanks to all my loyal reviewers! I hope you like it.**

* * *

Instead of hailing a cab back to their hotel, Tony and Ziva decided to walk the mile and a half back. A sense of calmness had settled between them allowing enough comfort for them to hold hands. Tony's thumb traced over the back of her palm occasionally traveling up to her fingers. It was on one of these journeys that he noticed the absence of a certain piece of jewelry.

"Where's your ring?"

Ziva looked down at her hand and squinted. "I do not know." She tried to remember taking off the ring or where she may have put it but could recall nothing.

Tony, too, attempted to remember anything about the ring. He remembered it glistening under the lights of Vegas; he remembered the feeling of cold metal against his skin as her hands ran up and down his arms; he remembered kissing her fingers as their hands intertwined. "You had it on when we...umm..."

"Made love?" Ziva asked.

Tony looked at her with a smile. "Yeah. I remember you had it on."

"It is probably at the hotel then," she surmised. She squeezed his hand and turned her attention back to the passing scenery. The shining lights of Vegas were overridden by the fact that it was mid afternoon but it was nice to see some different buildings on one's commute. A few minutes later they were walking into their hotel lobby, past Matthew at the front desk. He greeted them with a smile and a nod which Tony returned before pulling Ziva to the elevator banks.

Once the metal doors slid shut he attacked her lips, Ziva returning the gesture by wrapping her hands around his neck. He pressed her against the side of the elevator, feeding his hands through her hair. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, their arousal evident to each other…as well as the couple waiting to board the elevator.

"Oh my," the woman gasped. Tony and Ziva broke apart immediately a deep blush rising in both their cheeks.

Her husband laughed beside her. "We'll wait for the next one. Have fun you crazy kids."

As the doors closed Ziva managed to sputter out an apology. "That was embarrassing."

Tony laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Well what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

"I really wish you would stop saying that," Ziva growled. They rode the remaining floors in silence while Tony's fingers played with the bottom of Ziva's shirt. Occasionally his fingers would graze the skin at the top of her pants creating goose bumps in their wake. In her opinion it took far too long to reach their floor.

No sooner had the little electronic lock turned green before they were stumbling through the door, hands roaming and clothes flying in every which direction. Ziva's shirt landed on a lamp sending it crashing to the floor.

"You're paying for that," Tony said while struggling with his belt buckle.

Ziva laughed dropping her jeans to the floor. "Bill me." She pushed Tony backward letting his knees hit the mattress. He stood there for a moment before she pushed him again causing him to bounce onto the bed. "Feeling a little pushy, Ziva?"

She climbed over him, sitting in his lap and kissing his lips hungrily. Her fingernails scratched his neck and down over his shoulders. Tony fed his fingers into her hair pulling her face closer to his.

"You're so beautiful," he gasped as they broke apart. Reaching around her back Tony made quick work of the bra clasp and began pulling the straps down her arms when a loud rapping sounded at their door. "Who is it?" he shouted, clearly irritated at being interrupted.

"Room service."

"We didn't order room service."

There was a brief silence before a shaking voice responded. "Compliments of the hotel manager, sir."

Begrudgingly Ziva climbed off her partner, fixed her bra, and pulled on a nearby robe. Tony stood up and fixed his jeans, though no matter what he did it was quite difficult to hide the evidence of their previous activities. Throwing a look over his shoulder to make sure that Ziva was decent, Tony threw the door open revealing a young, awkward looking boy standing behind a silver cart. Tony swept his hand, silently ordering the food to be pushed into the room. The bell hop pushed the cart inside, parking it behind the sofa and returned to the doorway. Before he had a chance to speak Tony slammed the door and locked it.

"You did not have to be so rude to him," Ziva chastised half heartedly. She removed the silver domes covering the plates and began to salivate. It was not until that moment that she realized she hadn't eaten in some time and she was hungry. Her stomach growled in agreement. Tony came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, dropping his lips to her neck. "Hungry?" Ziva asked offering him a piece of pineapple while popping another into her mouth.

"Not for food," Tony said grinding his hips into hers to accentuate his point.

Ziva smiled popping the fruit into her mouth and spinning in Tony's arms. "There is no reason we can't have both."

When she kissed him Tony could taste the pineapple juice on her tongue. Spurred on by the new found aphrodisiac, he picked her up and walked back to the bed dropping her body onto the mattress. Tony shed his jeans while Ziva quickly slipped the robe off her shoulders. Once again Tony made quick work of her bra, this time succeeding in removing it completely and tossing it aside. "Beautiful," he whispered taking first one nipple and then the other in his mouth.

Ziva moaned at the sensation. "Tony…need you." She wrapped her legs around his hips bringing her pelvis to press against his, grinding her sex against his straining erection. "Now!"

Never one to disappoint, he pushed off his boxers and slid on a condom. In a teasing manner he peeled Ziva's panties down her legs and kissed his way back up. He covered her lips with his own as he entered her, swallowing the delighted squeal that escaped.

"So good," Ziva sighed.

"I could definitely get used to that," Tony added. He moved slowly at first, relishing in the feel of her gripping him tightly, before speeding up. Moments later he found himself suddenly on his back looking up at Ziva. She had a wicked smile on her face and a hungry look in her eyes. Tony laughed, "I forgot."

Ziva smiled sinking down onto him with a satisfied moan. "I prefer it on top." She rode him soundly, bracing herself with her hands on the headboard or on Tony's shoulders. As their speed increased, the smoothness of the rhythm faltered and the ambient sound grew.

Tony's hands drifted from Ziva's hips up to cup her breasts and back down. He guided her motions especially when it became obvious that her leg muscles were beginning to tire. "Don't know how much…longer I can…last," he grunted.

Ziva nodded swiveling her hips and earning a gratifying reaction from Tony. Her orgasm was building quickly and she knew it wouldn't be long.

"God Zee," he moaned. "With me…fall with me." He rocked his hips to meet her thrusts bringing Ziva to the edge and quickly over it. As her walls fluttered and clenched around him Tony finally let go with a moan and a shout of her name.

Ziva collapsed against Tony's chest enjoying the way his breathing lifted her up and down. Idly running her fingers through the hairs found there, a feeling of complete happiness settled over her. It was a calming sensation, but Ziva couldn't help but wonder how long it would last.


	7. Back to Life as Normal

**Chapter 7: Back to Life as Normal  
A/N: A special thanks to all those who reviewed this story! You guys are amazing and much appreciated. Now without further ado, here's the final chapter of Waking Up in Vegas.**

* * *

When the alarm sounded the next morning, Tony swatted the offending machine with malice. He was having a wonderful dream that Ziva was curled up naked next to him, her arm thrown across his chest, their legs tangled beneath the covers. Wait, that wasn't a dream, it was reality. Smiling broadly he reached over only to find the bed empty. Was it all a dream?

"Good morning," Ziva said leaning over the bed to kiss his lips. Her wet hair tickled his chest, the smell of lavender wafting to his nose.

"I could definitely get used to this," he reiterated, folding his hands beneath his head and watching her move around the room wrapped only in a towel.

"You should probably get up. We need to leave soon if we're going to make our flight."

Tony groaned. "Do we have to go back to D.C.? We could just stay out here forever."

"Gibbs would find us," Ziva laughed stuffing a few garments into her suitcase.

"We could quit."

Again Ziva laughed. "That would make McGee senior field agent."

Immediately Tony grimaced. "What time does our flight leave?"

NCIS

Airport security was never a fun thing, especially when carrying a hand gun. Tony had managed to pass through quite easily, showing his badge and papers to a TSA official. Ziva didn't have such luck.

"I already told you," she growled at the TSA agent looking over her papers for the tenth time, "I am a Mossad liaison officer."

"That's not what the badge says, Office David."

"It is Dav-eed!" she corrected. "My badge is from NCIS, who I currently work for."

The agent stared at her for a moment then back down at the papers in his hands. "So you're a federal agent?" Ziva nodded slowly. "Yet you don't carry an American passport. Why is that?"

"I am not an American citizen," she answered. "I am an Israeli citizen living and working in the U.S."

Tony watched the exchange with equal part annoyance and amusement. If their flight wasn't due to take off in forty minutes he would have just let Ziva duke it out with this guy, but as it was they were on a tight schedule. "Excuse me, sir." The agent looked up at Tony as he circled Ziva's waist with his arm. "In fact she is an American citizen, by marriage. We just got married this weekend so nothing official has been changed yet, but I assure you it's all legit." Rummaging through his bag he pulled out a document he'd received at the wedding chapel verifying their marriage. He'd assumed they would need it for the annulment and thus had made sure to get an official copy.

The agent took the paper over to his superior while Ziva glared at Tony. "You could have saved me the last 15 minutes of trouble by showing that little paper earlier!"

"I know," Tony smirked. "But I like to see you get all hot and bothered. It's incredibly sexy."

She elbowed him in the stomach playfully as the agent returned. "Boss says it's enough. You're both cleared to board."

"Finally," Ziva growled snatching the papers out of his hands and charging ahead.

They made their way to the gate with time to spare, even after Tony insisted on stopping at Cinnabon for a cinnamon roll the size of his face. As they approached the gate Tony noticed the two flight attendants behind the counter talking in hushed tones and gesturing to Ziva and himself. _'This can't be good,'_ he thought handing his boarding pass to the first woman.

"Excuse me sir, but are you the couple that was having trouble getting through security?" she asked.

_'Here we go.'_ "Yeah that was us," Tony answered giving her his best DiNozzo smirk. He hoped he had enough charm to get them out of whatever trouble they were in now.

"My coworker informs me that you're newlyweds. On behalf of US Airways I would like to offer a free first class upgrade for you and your bride. You are in seat 4A and your wife is in 4B." She smiled handing him their new boarding passes and wishing them luck.

"Thank you very much," Ziva responded snatching her ticket from a dumbfounded Tony.

"How did that just happen?" he asked as they strolled down the gangplank.

"Perhaps it is God's way of making up for the past few days," Ziva said.

"My God or yours?" Tony laughed.

"Does it matter?"

They were greeted at the doors by the flight crew and quickly found their seats, sinking into the luxury of first class accommodations.

"This is awesome," Tony gloated poking at the various buttons above them.

"I agree," Ziva said wrapping her fingers around his. "This will make the seven hour flight much more enjoyable."

Tony smiled bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "You know what would make this even better?" Ziva raised her eyebrows silently asking him to continue. "We could join the Mile High Club."

"What club?"

He looked at her astonished. "You've never heard of the Mile High Club? Oh Ziva, how could you have missed out of such an integral part of American culture?"

"What is it?" she asked choosing to ignore his overly dramatic question.

Tony leaned over bringing his lips to her ear. Ziva shivered as his warm breath hit her neck. "Sex…in an airplane."

"Oh," she responded flipping open her book. "I have already joined that club."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Tony nearly shouted, pushing her book down against her lap. "When? Where? Who?"

"It was years before I joined NCIS," she explained. "I was on a military transport from Tel Aviv to Madrid."

"Well that explains the when and where," he leaned closer, "but not the 'who'."

"Michael." It was a simple answer but it was enough. Tony slouched back in his seat, pouting like a child. Ziva rolled her eyes and went back to her book. Moments later the captain's voice came over the speakers announcing their position on the runway and preparing them for takeoff. As the plane rose into the clouds Ziva looked out the window at the retreating buildings of the Las Vegas strip. She owed that city a lot.

Nearly two hours later and Tony was still pouting. He'd barely said a word to her since their discussion and frankly Ziva was annoyed. She knew there was tension between Michael and Tony that much was obvious. Tony was jealous of Michael even if he wouldn't admit it. She wanted to point out that she was with him now, not Michael. She was married to Tony, not Michael. She wanted to grab his face and kiss him so hard he would never doubt her feelings for him again. But Ziva had a better idea; grabbing a pen out of her bag she dug out an old receipt and scribbled a note on the back, pressing the piece of paper into Tony's hand before moving up the aisle.

Tony watched her disappear before unfolding the paper in his hand.

_I have never joined the Mile High Club in a commercial jet._

_5 minutes._

This was going to be the longest 5 minutes of his life.

NCIS

"Probie!"

McGee looked up from his cell phone cursing Tony as he lost the game of brick breaker he was playing while waiting for his friends. "Welcome back," he said popping the trunk of the company car he'd borrowed to retrieve Tony and Ziva from the airport. "Good flight?"

"Very nice," Ziva answered him with a smirk. She climbed into the passenger's seat before Tony had a chance, forcing the senior field agent to take the back seat.

On the drive back to the Navy Yard McGee filled the pair in on the happenings of the last week as well as their sub-par replacements. "I had to teach them how to bag and tag evidence," he exclaimed. "They must have been fresh out of the academy. I swear Lawson nearly puked at every crime scene."

"I seem to remember another young agent who couldn't hold down his meals at scenes," Tony chimed in from the back. McGee glared at him in the rearview mirror. Light conversation flowed for the remainder of the ride until the sedan pulled into the parking garage.

"Home sweet home," Tony sighed stepping out of the car and staring up at the building. "It's been too long."

"It's been less than two weeks Tony," Ziva reminded him.

"Oh, feels longer."

Shaking her head, Ziva followed McGee into the building with Tony bringing up the tail. The moment the elevator doors opened both Tony and Ziva were met with a flurry of pigtails and crossbones.

"You're back!" Abby shouted pulling both of them into a hug at the same time, one arm around each neck. "I missed you guys so much!"

"We were only gone two weeks Abs," Tony cried.

"Two weeks is a long time!" she countered.

"Abby I can't breathe," Ziva groaned. Reluctantly the Goth released both agents and followed them into the squad room.

Gibbs rounded the corner quickly smacking DiNozzo on the head as he walked past.

"What was that for?"

Ignoring his question Gibbs turned to McGee, "Director needs you in MTAC." McGee, who had just taken a seat behind his desk, rose to his feet and headed toward the staircase.

"Not even a welcome back boss?" Tony asked. Seeing Gibb's patented stare he laughed nervously. "I guess that's what the head smack was for, huh? Thank you, boss."

Ziva laughed taking a seat behind her desk and logging onto her computer. She hadn't checked her email today and she knew there were probably a dozen or so unread messages to deal with. Surprisingly there were only seven unread messages. Ziva scrolled through them noting the email from one of her Mossad contacts that she would need to read later. At the bottom of the list was an email from Tony. She checked the time stamp, noting that it had been sent only a minute ago. Ziva opened it and smiled broadly.

_You look gorgeous today. Just thought I should tell you that._

_Love,_

_T_

"Ziva!" Gibbs bellowed.

The Israeli looked up immediately after quickly minimizing the window containing the very personal email. "Yes Gibbs?"

"You and Tony have a call in MTAC," he said already starting for the steps.

Ziva shared a confused look with her partner before following suit.

"OSP?" Tony asked her. Ziva shrugged her shoulders; it seemed logical.

As they entered MTAC Gibbs nodded to McGee. "The Director is online," the younger agent supplied.

Both Tony and Ziva took a headset as they waited for the screen to come to life. Ziva's heart nearly stopped and Tony got a terrible feeling in his gut when Director Eli David appeared on the screen.

"Shalom Ziva."

"Shalom Aba," she responded.

"Agent Gibbs," Eli greeted the older man before his eyes settled on Tony. "And I take it this is Agent DiNozzo?"

When Tony did not immediately respond Ziva elbowed him discreetly. "Yes sir."

Eli sized Tony up for a moment before he turned back to his daughter. "You have just returned from assignment, yes? Las Vegas I believe."

Ziva was confused and slightly irritated. How did her father know where she had been? She looked to Gibbs for an explanation but he shook his head. "Are you keeping tabs on me again?" she hissed in anger.

"No," Director David argued. "You told me yourself."

Ziva quickly ran over previous conversation with her father, a task that was surprisingly simple given their strained relationship. She was absolutely certain she'd never told him about this assignment. After all she had not known about it until three days beforehand.

"You do not remember?" he asked seeing her pensive face. A chuckle resounded in the small room. "I am not surprised given the state in which you called. You were rather…inebriated."

It felt as if all the air was sucked from the room. The missed call from her father. She had called him back? This was not good!

"Coming back to you now?" Eli laughed. Ziva nodded, not trusting her own voice at the moment. Hopefully she had not said anything too damaging. "I would like to meet my new son-in-law." That was pretty damaging.

At the controls McGee coughed loudly to cover a fit of laughter. He owed Abby fifty bucks.

Gibbs turned to DiNozzo. He really should smack both of them into next week, but the humiliation they were facing now and in the next few minutes was better than any punishment he could come up with. Removing his head phones he turned to leave stopping next to his agents. "I told you marriage was a bad idea."

* * *

**Yes I know Eli David is by definition a bastard, but for the sake of this story let's pretend he's a little more light-hearted, k?**


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue  
****A/N: Hey so how's it goin? Lol I know everyone loves this story (as do I) so I figured I would write a sequel. However, I will warn you that you won't be getting anything substantial until semester break. Consider this your teaser trailer. It ended up being a little longer than I anticipated, so we'll consider that an added bonus. Be sure to let me know if you like it!**

* * *

Tony set his headset onto the table next to Ziva's and shot a look at McGee. The younger agent knew enough to quietly excuse himself from MTAC. Tony watched him leave before dropping into the seat next to Ziva, his partner, his wife, the love of his life. "Well."

Ziva nodded. She could not believe that she had been so stupid. _'Why would you call your father when you had been drinking? Why?!'_ All she could do was stare at the colored bars that graced the MTAC screen and replay the last twenty minutes of her life.

"What do we do now?" Tony asked.

Ziva sighed. "I do not know." And for the first time in her life she didn't have a plan, she didn't know what came next. It was a foreign feeling, one that she was not eager to repeat. "Why was my father not more angry?" she wondered idly.

Tony reached over and took her hand in his. "What do you mean?"

Ziva took momentary comfort in the feeling of his larger hand encompassing hers, his rough skin against hers. It scared her slightly how familiar it felt. "You are Catholic and American. You are the exact opposite of anything he would choose for me. He should be furious but he was not. It is confusing."

Tony smiled. "Maybe he's changed." Ziva shot him a look that said more than words could. "Well maybe he was won over by my incredible charm?"

Ziva laughed before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "You are delusional."

"But you love me," he whispered.

"Yes I do. I have no idea why, but I do." They shared a few more kisses, soft and gentle and completely unseen.

"You know," Tony said sparing a glance around the empty room, "I've always wanted to have sex in MTAC."

Ziva shook her head and laughed. "I will remember that. But I think right now we must face the music." She stood and extended her hand to Tony.

"Hey you go that one right!" he exclaimed planting a kiss to her temple. Together they ascended the ramp and stopped at the door. He squeezed Ziva's hand and waited for her to return the gesture before grasping the handle and opening the heavy door. Just as they expected the entire team was waiting for them.

Abby was the first to attack, launching herself from her spot leaning against the railing next to McGee. Her arms encircled their necks in the same manner they had not an hour before when she welcomed them back. "I'm so happy for you guys!" she exclaimed. "I wish I could have been there though! I told Timmy something would happen in Vegas, but I never thought you would go and get married!"

"We didn't really plan it Abs," Tony laughed.

"Oh I figured that because I mean you guys would at least tell **me** that you were going to elope. But I guess it wouldn't be considered eloping then, would it?" She paused momentarily to consider this before pulling them both into another bone crushing hug. "Congrats anyways!" She moved back to her previous position shooting a look at McGee that Tony noticed and catalogued away for future teasing purposes.

Ducky approached them next. "Congratulations Anthony," he said clapping the younger man on the shoulder before taking Ziva's hand in his and kissing her knuckles. "And congratulations to you my dear." Before leaving her turned back to Tony and leveled his gaze on the agent. "You have a very special young lady here Anthony, be sure you treat her right." Glancing over his shoulder the M.E. took note of the glares that Gibbs was directing at the pair and took the opportunity to excuse himself back to autopsy, dragging Abigail along with him. McGee also made a quick escape down the flight of steps to the squadroom leaving Tony and Ziva to face the proverbial firing squad.

Without words Gibbs turned to his left and headed toward the elevator; Tony and Ziva knew enough to follow. As the silver doors closed Ziva's hand squeezed Tony's in preparation for the tongue lashing that was coming. The cabin was thrown into the dimmed lights as the emergency system kicked in.

"Look boss," Tony began but Gibbs silenced him with a glare.

"Don't try to explain your way out of this one DiNozzo," he said. "The rules are there for a reason."

"Technically I don't think there is a rule about marrying your partner," Tony joked, attempting to lighten the mood. All he managed to do was earn a stinging slap to the back of his head. It hurt worse than he remembered; maybe his head had softened while he was away.

"Rule number 2: Don't screw over your partner," He leveled his gaze at his senior field agent.

"I haven't screwed anyone over," Tony growled taking a step forward.

"Not yet," Gibbs said. "But this isn't going to end well. And then what happens?"

"Who said it is going to end?" Tony challenged.

Gibbs took a moment to stare down his senior field agent. He'd watched him grow up before his eyes over the last eight years from an overgrown frat boy with a lack of discipline and serious commitment issue to the man standing in front of him. He felt something akin to fatherly pride when he looked at the younger man. And then he pulled something like this.

"Gibbs," Ziva ventured breaking the staring contest between the two men. "I know this is not an ideal situation and believe me I never thought my life would turn out like this. But we cannot change the past, you taught me that." She waited for him to look at her, locking his blue eyes with her brown. "We have decided to give this a chance. We're not asking for your blessing, but we do not need your condescending attitude at every turn." Reaching around her boss, Ziva flipped the emergency switch and let the machine continue on its journey. The rest of the ride was made in silence with both Gibbs and Tony staring at Ziva, the former replaying the words she had said and the latter thinking about how hot she was when she stood up to their boss. Eventually the doors slid open, but before anyone could exit Gibbs blocked their path.

He let out a long sigh and leveled them with a strong glare. "For the record I don't like this. Keep it out of the office and I won't have to separate you two." He didn't wait for an answer before spinning on his heel and disappearing.

"Well that went well," Tony mumbled as they made their way back to their desks.

"He did not fire or kill either of us. What more can we ask for?" Ziva whispered back.

The remainder of the day passed in a somewhat monotonous fashion. All three agents and their boss sat at their desks catching up on paperwork. Both Tony and Ziva had a multitude of reports to file for their joint case with the OSP, though Tony tried to pawn his off on his partner who politely declined with the threat of office supplies as surgical tools. It was nearing quitting time and for once there was a good chance the entire team would be able to leave at a normal hour.

"Office David, Agent DiNozzo." Both Tony and Ziva's heads snapped up. Vance stood on the lower landing of the staircase overlooking the bullpen. He met both sets of eyes before continuing. "I need to see you in my office. Now."

Tony and Ziva shared a concerned look before following the Director up the stairs. They passed through Cynthia's office, waving to the secretary before entering Vance's office and closing the door behind them.

"Look if this is about Vegas—"

He cut Tony off with a wave of his hand. "I just got off the phone with Director David," Vance began. "He is requesting your presence in Tel Aviv."

"Mossad?" Ziva asked confused.

"Doubtful. He's requesting that you **both** be on the next flight to Tel Aviv."

Tony looked at Ziva with a worried expression. "Meet the Parents?"

Vance watched their interaction closely. He'd heard about the events in Las Vegas and he couldn't say he was surprised. He knew those two wouldn't be able to fight it for much longer, he just hoped that it didn't have a damaging effect on the rest of Gibbs's team. Unorthodox, yes, but they were the best he hand and there was no need to jeopardize that.

"I've approved a use of vacation time for both of you," he said pushing two papers forward requiring their signatures. "You've been booked on a flight out of Dulles tomorrow at 0945. Best get home and pack. We'll see you in two weeks."


End file.
